The present invention relates to a device and the use thereof in which permanent magnets are used to change the magnetic field in an agricultural field so as to promote the growth of plants, and in particular crops such as fruits, and to contribute to improved flavor.
Toward the end of the 16th century, the Englishman W. Gilbert scientifically established that the earth is one giant magnet. That is to say, all living things on the earth live bathed in geomagnetism. Iron absorbs magnetism one hundred times to several thousand times more readily than air. It is of note that the energy of geomagnetism in the natural environment in the vicinity of Japan is approximately 0.5 gauss. Here, it has been indicated that, in environments resulting from civilization (high-rise buildings, condominiums, automobiles, greenhouses and the like) plants and animals are in a living environment that is surrounded by iron and the like, where a pathological condition that may be referred to as “magnetic deficiency syndrome” exists.
It is said that, when the geomagnetism is artificially blocked, there are clear changes in the central nervous systems and the circadian rhythms of humans. Accordingly, it would not be unusual to observe some sort of effect due to magnetism in life forms other than humans. It has long been known that one of these is the growth promoting effect of magnetism on plants.
For example, it is disclosed in JP-05-088434-A that magnetism of 20 to 85 gauss is effective in promoting the growth of plants. Furthermore, a method has been proposed for causing the roots and stems of plants to grow large by way of exposing the stems and roots of plants to a magnetic environment of 2 to 20 gauss and preferably 5 to 12 gauss and, as a result, improving the absorption of water and nutrients, so that the blossoming periods of flowers are extended, and the growth of leaves and fruits is promoted (see JP-10-313685-A). Furthermore, a crop cultivation promotion device has been proposed having a configuration wherein the bodies of organisms, as well as useful microorganisms within these bodies, and exterior to these bodies, are activated and the growth thereof is promoted on the basis of the “magneto-protonics principle” (see JP-2008-061614-A).